Differential power-transmission device.



H. M. PATCH.

DIFFERENTIAL PO'WER'TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I8| IQ'IB.

Patented Oct. 29, I918.

- 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 ATTORNEY,

H. M. PATCH.

DiFFERENTlAL POWER TRANSMISSION DEVECE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18. I913.

Patented 0st. 29, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

emma,

f J g-@117 INVENTOR wil W flwfw? M ATTORNEY HARRY M. PATCH, 0]? SEATTLE,WASHINGTON.

DIFFERENTIAL POWER-TRANSMISSION nnvIon.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY M. PATCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and. State of Washington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Diiferential Power-Transmission Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to differential power transmission devices and,more particularly, to that type illustrated and describedin U. S. PatentNo; 1,2d2,587, issued to me October-'9, 1917. v The object of thepresent'invention is the perfecting of vsuch devices to render the samemore simple and durable in construc tion and to increaseits efliciency.-

These ends are attained by the provision of a plurality of powertransmission blocks arranged circumferentially about the axis of thedriving and driven members of the differential mechanism and interposedbetween said driven members for simultaneous revoluble movements andindividual longitudinal movements.

The inventionfurther consists in the novel i construction, adaptationand combination of ied in the preceding views. Fig. 7 is a longitudinalsectional elevation of another embodiment of my invention; Fig. 8 is anend elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 7 with one ofthe casingmembers and parts associated therewith removed; Fig. 9 is a perspectiveview of a power-transmission unit of the type shown in Figs. 7 and 8;and

Figs. 10 and 11 are diagrammatic views illustrating various relativepositions of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 18, 1918.

above mentioned units and driven elements. shown in Figs. 7 and S.

In said drawings, the reference numeral- 1 designates the'driving shaftof an automobile and having mounted thereon a bevel pinion 2, saidpinion meshing With a bevel Patented 04313.29, ieie. Serial No. 217,960.

gear 3 which is rigidly secured, as by bolts 4:,

to a cylindrical casing 5. As shown in Fig.

1, this casing is provided with a removable end or head 6 to affordaccess to the operatlve parts within the casing.

7 and 8 represent alined axle parts re and 8 formed with contrate teeth9 and 10 which protrude inwardly with respect to the casing.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5,inclusive, of the drawings, 11 represents a tubular sup port ositionedbetween the axle heads 7 and 8 to maintain the same in spaced relationand against thrust plates 17 which are interposed between said heads andthe adjacent ends of the casing. The teeth of said heads-are of angularshape formed with warped side surfaces (1 (FigsJeL and 6) extendingbetween the respective tooth points 1) and the apices cof the rentrantangles between the adjacent teeth. Said points and apices are, moreover,disposed in radi-al relations to the axleaxis.

Arranged circumferentially about said support between the heads 7 and 8and concentric to the axle axis, is a plurality of power transmissionblocks 12 12 12 etc, arranged for reciprocatory movement parallel to theaxle axis by means such as a longitudinal rib 13 provided on each blockengaging in a correspondingly disposed way 14 provided in the peripheralwall of the casing.

Said blocks are formed to provide at. their ends teeth 15 and 16 ofangular formation with side surfaces 15 and 16 adapted to register withthe opposing teeth 9 and 10, respectively, of the aforesaid heads.

The number of said blocks should, however, be of a number differing fromthe number of teeth in the respective heads, the block teethbeingdissimilarly disposed in the various blocks to cause the same to bereciprocated out of unison with each other for the purposes of betterdistributing the strains and obviating any danger of becoming unlocatedin the axis of axle parts heads. V are connected wlth the casing forrotary mplementary sections and 5 inclosing heads 7 and 8 provided, likethe aforedescribed embodiment, with angular "shaped contrateteethdesignated by 9 and 10 but which, in this instance, are disposed inbevel relation with the points and apiees converging toward a point(indicated by w, Fig. 7) 7 and 8 and medially 0f the referred-to heads.

Power transmission blocks 22 22 22 are provided cireumferentially aboutthe axle axis and intermediate the heads 7 and 8 said blocks havingtheir ends formed to provide angularly shaped beveled teeth 23 adaptedto register with the teeth of the The blocks. shown in the example tionby being inserted in longitudinal slots 24: provided in the casing.

The outer and inner surfaces 25 and 26,

' respectively, of the referred to blocks, are

. curved longitudinally thereof toslidably' fit against curved outersurfaces 2& of said using slots and the spheroidal outer surface of atubular support 11 interposed between the heads 7 and 8 When a vehicleprovided with my device is propelled in a straight direction both theheads and axle parts are driven from the casing through the agency ofthe blocks which will engage by their teeth both of the heads to drivethe latter as indicated by arrowsh in Fig. 10. Under such conditionsthere will occur no longitudinal movements tothe blocks.

lVhen turning a cornerone ofthe traetion wheels will rotate faster thanthe other with corresponding rotative movements of the associated heads,resulting 1n the blocks having imparted thereto reciprocatorylongitudinal movements proportional speeds of the wheels.

For exanlple, 111 Fig. 11, assuming the to the head 7 to be the fastermoving one, the forwardly directed inclined facesof its teeth 9 actingupon the inclined faces of the adjacent teeth of blocks as 22 22 willcause the same to be thrust in the direction denoted by arrows O on thereferred to blocks until the teeth at the other endsof the blocks arebrought, by the revolution of the latter,

mto slid ng contact with the rear faces of the teeth v10 of the slowermoving head 8 causing a reaction to occur to thrust such blocks towardthe faster moving head, as indicated, for example, by arrow 0 withrespect to the block 22 in Fig. 11, the direction arrows l1 and IL: forthe heads in this view being shown to represent relative movementstherebetween.

. Another example of the action of the blocks when-the vehicle isturning the corner is illustrated in Fig.5 with mspect to theembodiment.of the invention as disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5,.inclusive, 4

- The invention and the manner of its op- I axial movementand interposedbetween said elements, and means to. revolve-said drivlng memberstocause the teethfthereof to cooperate wlth the teeth of sald elements,said members when revolved n either direction being caused by saiddriving elements to reciprocate to afford differential rotary movementto said elements when the latter are unequally retarded.

2. In a differential apparatus, two axially alineddriven elements, anannular support interposed between said elements to maintain the same inspaced relation, and a pluality of driving members arranged circumferentially around said support and lndependcntly movable axially of andbetween said elements, said elements and members having coacting teethand said members being related to said elements and to each other soasto successively make toothed engagements with each of said elementswhen rotated relatively thereto, the; teeth on said members and elementsbeing provided with slide surfaces between which said engagements aremade. I J

In differential apparatus, a rotatable casing, two axially alinedelements mounted for relative rotary movement therein, an annularsupport encircling the axisof said elements between the latter andcontained within said casing, and a series of blocks mounted onsaid"support and securedto the casing to revolve therewith and. arrangedfor rela tive axial movement, said blocks andelements having cooperatingoppositely inclined faces for transn'iittii'igdifferential movement tosaid elements when the blocks are driven with the casing in eitherrotary direction. i

4. In a differential apparatus, .two oppos- Hingaxle-head membersprov-idedwith a plurality of teeth having angularly disposed slidefaces, and a series of reciprocating blocks therebetween, said blockshaving at their opposite ends angularly disposed slide cam faces, saidblocks being held in definite positions relatively to each other andbeing capable of, relative reciprocationso as to act on each axle-headmember and thereby produce differential driving action when saidaxle-head members are unequally retarded.

5. In a differential apparatus, a rotatable casing, two' .driv.ingtoothed axle heads mounted; therein. and driving connections between thecasing-and the axle-heads, said connections .(JOllSl-Stlllg; of-aplurality of assa e blocks keyed to said casing for longitudinalreciprocatory movements and having teeth.

upon their opposite ends, said ends being alternately engageable withsaid toothed heads.

6. In a differential apparatus, a rotatable casing, two driven toothedelements mounted therein,'and driving connectionsbetvveen the caslng andthe elements, said connections consisting in a plurality of blocksarranged concentrically about the axisof said toothed v elements, saidblocks havingteeth upon their opposite ends and being alternatelyengageable with said toothed elements, the'teeth in the endsof thevarious blocks being an ranged ineven-ly spaced relations.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 11th day of February, 1918.

HARRY M. PATCH. Witnesses: PIERRE BARNES,

E. PETERSON;

